Automatic sheave



Jan. 5 1926.

J. LE BUS AUTOMATIC SHEAVE Filed Sept. 30

1924 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES INVENTOR I Z: Le fins,

ATTORNEYS J. E. LE BUS AUTOMATIC SHEAVE Filed Sept. 30 I 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet .2 25 z? .52 55 /1 M h g- O 29 28 I! W 6 I fall 3/ WITNESSES I NVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ERWIN LE BUS, OF ELECTRA, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T SHAW AND RATHKE, OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION.

AUTOMATIC SHEAVE.

Application filed September 30, 1924. Serial No. 740,865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jon)? E. LE Bus, a citizen of the United States, residing at Electra, in the county of Vichita, State of Texas, have invented certain-new and use ful Improvements in Automatic Sheaves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic sheave especially designed for organization with the draw works of rotary drilling outtits and is intended primarily for use in cat heading drill pipe in and out of wells.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic sheave of this character which makes it possible to use a wire line, thereby eliminating the necessity for using a heavy rope and consequently reducing the cost since the heavy rope ordinarily employed is very expensive.

Another object of the inventon is the provision of a sheave of this character which enables one man to break the tool joints of the drill pipe. an operation heretofore requiring at least two men.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing one embodiment of the invention, the line shaft being shown in section,

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinalsectlon taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Flgure 1, parts being shown in elevation for the sake of illustration,

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2, parts being shown in elevation for the sake of illustration and parts being shown as positioned just after the doghas beendisengaged from the lug,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts "as positioned just when the dog has been engaged with the lug,

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation of the automatic sheave constituting-the presentinvention,

Figure 6 is a view in longitudinal section taken in the plane of line66 of Figure 1, and

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the automatic sheave in shaft having the usual cat heads 2 at its ends. The automatic sheave which constitutes the present invention is designated generally at 3 and one or two such sheaves may be provided on each draw works. Each automatic sheave employed is positioned between a cat head 2 and a jack post 4 The automatic sheave 3 comprises a sheave proper, designated at 5, and having a body 6 and flanges 7. lhe sheave 5 is mounted for free rotary movement relative to the line shaft and preferably is mounted on bearings 8 of annular form and connected by a collar 9 of smaller diameter than the bearings. The bearings 8 and collar 9 are one piece and are carried or suitably fixed to the line shaft. In this manner the sheave is loosely mounted on the line shaft and may rotate therewith or remain fixed While the line shaft rotates. A wire line 10, which may be a rope or chain or other suitable type of flexible element is provided and has one end fixed, as at 11, to the sheave. Beyond the fixed end 11 the wire line may be wound aroundthe'body portion 6 of the sheave.

The end of the wire line opposite that connected to the sheave is fastened to a wrench, designated at 12 and of the type ordinarily employed for breaking tool joints. The wrench is also connected to a line 13 extending over a guide pulley 14 and carrying a weight 15.

Means is provided for clutching the sheave 5 to the line shaft 1 so that the sheave may be rotated with the line shaft, and

this means preferably includes a clutch member connected to the line shaft and a co-operable clutch member connected to the sheave. Preferably the clutch member connected to the line shaft takes the form of a lug 16 integrally formed with the collar 9, and the clutch member carried by the sheave takes the form of a sliding dog 17 fitted in an opening 18 extending transversely of the body 6 of the sheave, the

dog 17 being adapted to be moved back and forth in the opening 18 so as to 'be engaged with or'disengaged from the lug 16.

An operating element is employed for controlling the dog 17 and this operating element preferably comprises a lever 19 which is fulcrumed, as at 20,-to the sheave and which is ivotally connected,.as at 20', to the dog 1 The line wire 10 is cooperable with this operating lever 19 for the purpose of so moving the dog 17 as to engage it with the lug 16 as will hereinafter be more fully described.

A releasing device is provided for coaction with the operating lever 19 for the purpose of disengaging the dog 17 from the lug 16 when the sheave has been rotated a predetermined extent and this releasing device includes a frame, designated generally at 21, and adjustably secured to the jack post. For the purpose of adjustably securing the frame 21 to the jack post the frame may be provided with a series of bolt holes 22. desi ned to be selectively brought into registration with bolt holes of the jack 0st. Bolts 23 are inserted through aligned bolt holes and on the bolts 23 nuts 2t are threaded. The frame 21 is formed with 'a bracket 25 which extends over the periphery of the sheave 5. The bracket carries a pin 26 and on the pin 26 a roller'orsleeve 27 is mounted. The operating lever 19 is engageable with the roller 27 to bring about the disengagement of the dog 17 from the lug 16 after the sheave hasbeen rotated to a predetermined extent.

A latch 28 is pivotally mounted, as at 29, on the frame 21 and is co-opera'ble with a notch 30 in one of the flanges 7 of the sheave 5 to hold a sheave against movement after the dog 17 has been disengaged from the lug 16. A spring 31 is employed for urging the latch 28 to such position as to engage in the notch 30. In order to provide for the release of the latch an eye 32 is connected to the latch on the opposite side of the pivot from the spring 31 and a con trol line 38 is connected with the eye 32. The control line extends to a point near the operator so that the latch can be released without the necessity of the operator approaching the sheave.

In operation when the latch 28 is released the weight 15 pulls the wrench 12 to the right as viewed in Fig. 7 and this causes the wire line 10 to unreel to the posit 1on shown in Figure 4, whereupon the wire line engages the operating lever 19to cause the dog 17 to slide inwardly and into engagement with the lug 16. When the dog 17 is engaged with the lug 16 the sheave 5 is rotated with the line shaft. The sheave 5 is thus rotated to wind the line 10 thereon to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which position the lever 19 is engaged by the 'roller 27 to cause the dog 17 to slide outwardly and to be disengaged from the lug 16. In this way the line shaft is disconnected from and no longer serves to rotate the sheave 5. The latch 28 snaps into the notch 30 and holds the sheave 5 against movement. The movement of the sheave 5 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3 is accompanied by a winding of the wire line of the sheave and this winding of the wire line 10 swings the wrench in a direction to break the joint. As soon as the latch 28 is again released by a pull on the control line 33 they operation is repeated.

I claim 1. In combination, a shaft, a sheave loosely mounted on the shaft, a line wound on the sheave, means engaged and controlled by the line for clutching the sheave to the shaft, and a release for the said means operable to unclutch the sheave from the shaft when the sheave has rotated a predetermined extent.

2. In combination. a shaft, a sheave loosely mounted on the shaft, :1 line wound on the sheave, co-operable clutch members carried by the shaft and sheave, anoperating element for engaging and disengaging the clutch members, the line being engageable with the operating element to cause said clutch members to be engaged. and a releasing device ,co-operable with said operating element for causing said clutch members to be disengaged.

3. In combination, a shaft, a sheave loosely mounted on the shaft, a line wound on the sheave, co-operable clutch members carried by the shaft and sheave, an operating element for engaging and disengaging the clutch members, the line being engageable with the operating element to cause said clutch members to beengaged, a releasing device co-operable with said operating element for causing said clutch members to be disengaged, and a latch for holding the sheave against movement after the clutch members have been disengaged.

4. In combination. a shaft, 3. sheave loosely mounted on the shaft, a line wound on the sheave, co-operable clutch members carried by the shaft and sheave and comprising a lug connected to the shaft, a dog slidably mounted on the sheave and engageable with the lug, an operating lever fulcrumed on the sheave and pivotally connected to the dog, the line being engageable with the operating levenin one position of the line and sheave to cause the dog to engage the lug, and a releasing device including a rollerengageable with the operating lever to disengage the dog and lug when the sheave has been rotated a predetermined extent.

. 5. In combination, a shaft, a sheave loosely mounted on the shaft, co-operable Clutch members carried by the shaft and clutch members carried by the shaft and sheave and comprising a lug connected to the shaft, a dog slidably mounted on the sheave and engageable with the lug, an operating lever fulcrumed on the sheave and pivotally connected to the dog, areleasing device including a roller engageable with the operating lever to disengage the dog and lug when the sheave has been rotated a predetermined extent, and a spring pressedand manually releasable latch engageable with the sheave to hold the same against move-' ment after the dog has been disengaged from the lug. i

7. An automatic sheave for use on the draw works of rotary drilling outfits and comprising a sheave loosely mounted on the line shaft, a wire line wound on the sheave, co-operable clutch members carried by the shaft and sheave, an 0 rating element for engaging and disengaging the clutch members, the line being engageable with the operating element to cause such clutch members to be engaged and a releasing device co-o rable with the operating element for causing said clutch members to be disengaged, said releasing device ineludin a frame adjustably connected to the ack post of the draw works, a bracket carried by the frame, and a roller mounted on the bracket and engageable with the operating element.

8. An automatic sheave for use in conjunction with a biased wrench when breaking joints ofidrill pipes and adapted for organization with the draw works of a rotary drilling outfit, said sheave including a sheave proper loosely mounted on the shaft, :1 line wound on the sheave and connected to the wrench, co-operable clutch members carried by the shaft and sheave, an operating element for engaging and disengaging the clutch members, the line engageable with the operating element to cause said clutch members to be engaged, a releasing device adjustablymounted on the jack post and co-operable with the operating element for causing said clutch members to be disengaged, and a releasable latch for holding the sheave against movement after the clutch members have been disengaged.

JOHN ERWIN LE BUS. 

